Off-the-shelf Dental Regeneration Technologies

描述(申请人提供)：牙本质构成牙齿的主体，由牙冠中的釉质和牙根中的牙骨质覆盖。当龋齿分解牙釉质并累及牙本质时，患者会感到疼痛和热敏感。牙髓感染的急性期通常与剧烈的疼痛有关，如果处理不当，可能会导致根尖周围感染、牙齿脱落、面部感染，甚至是心内膜炎等全身感染。目前治疗龋齿的方法是用牙科器械切除腐烂的牙釉质和牙本质，然后用银汞合金和复合树脂等人工材料填充预备好的洞。然而，目前通过人工填充物进行的修复性牙科治疗的使用寿命有限，可能会出现不可预测的失败。牙齿断裂和继发性感染是目前牙科和牙髓治疗中一些有充分证据的并发症。乳牙和年轻恒牙的治疗选择进一步受到限制。在我们的SBIR第一阶段相关工作中，我们发现牙本质样组织可以通过生物活性支架配方再生。这项SBIR/第二阶段建议的总体目标是识别和制备有效和安全的生物活性支架配方，用于牙本质样组织的再生。这一SBIR第二阶段代表着将我们的技术推进到下一阶段商业化并最终成为一种最终可以在患有牙痛、创伤和感染的患者中再生牙本质的产品所必需的中间资金。 与公共卫生相关：龋齿分解牙釉质和牙本质，引起疼痛和感染。目前龋齿的牙科治疗依赖于外科手术去除腐烂的釉质和牙本质，并用人工材料填充准备好的洞穴。我们设计了一种再生牙本质样结构的技术，这种技术最终可能适用于患有牙痛、创伤和感染的患者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dentin forms the bulk of the tooth and is covered by enamel in the crown of the tooth and cementum in the root. When dental caries breaks down enamel and involves the dentin, the patient experiences pain and thermal sensitivity. The acute phase of dental pulp infection is typically associated with excruciating pain, and if not properly managed, can lead to peri-apical infection, tooth loss, facial infection and even systemic infections such as endocardiomyotis. Current dental treatments for tooth decay rely on surgical removal of decayed enamel and dentin by dental instruments and filling of the prepared cavity with artificial materials including amalgam and composite resin. However, current restorative dental treatments by artificial fillers have finite service life and can fail unpredictably. Tooth fracture and secondary infections are among some of the well documented complications of current dental and endodontic treatments. Treatment options are further limited for deciduous teeth and young permanent teeth. We have discovered that dentin-like tissues can regenerate by bioactive scaffold formulations in our SBIR Phase I related work. The overall goal of this SBIR/Phase-2 proposal is to identify and prepare efficacious and safe bioactive scaffold formulations for the regeneration of dentin-like tissues. This SBIR-Phase 2 represents essential intermediate funding to advance our technologies to the next stage of commercialization and eventually into a product that can ultimately regenerate dentin in patients who suffer from dental pain, trauma and infections. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Dental caries breaks down enamel and dentin, causing pain and infections. Current dental treatments for tooth decay rely on surgical removal of decayed enamel and dentin and filling of the prepared cavity with artificial materials. We have designed a technology to regenerate dentin-like structures that may be ultimately applicable to patients who suffer from dental pain, trauma and infections.